Ryan Crouser is setting records and bringing home the gold for Team USA in the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.
The 31 year old is being called the “best shot putter in track and field’s history,” after winning an unprecedented third consecutive Olympic gold medal in shot put and breaking the record for farthest throw of all time at 75 feet, 1 3/4 inches.
“Throwing a 16-pound ball as far as you can for a living beats you up," Crouser said to NBC during their Olympic games coverage. "Three golds is a testament to that, to be the first to win three golds."
In March 2024, Crouser suffered an injury to the ulnar nerve in his throwing elbow, as explained in the animation Arthrex provided to NBC to help educate viewers. The following month, he tore a pectoral muscle and subsequently underwent two procedures to repair both injuries. Doctors cleared Crouser to resume throwing shot put in June.
"This year hasn’t been easy with so many setbacks,” Crouser said after taking the podium at his third Olympic medal ceremony. "It’s made it all the more special to be out there tonight. There were a lot of times I thought I might not be."
Watch the segment, including the Arthrex medical education animation: